Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Light endeavors to take the most efficient path between any two points, but matter or geometry can cause this path to bend. What would life be like in curved space? Join Steve Trettel, Szego Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Stanford University, as he identifies some telltale signs of curvature in the real world — including spooky ring-like mirages appearing in images from the Hubble Space Telescope — and takes us on a geometrical adventure that leads us to Einstein's great insight: that gravity is not a force, but just a consequence of living in a curved world. Special introduction by Dr. Richard Schwartz, Chancellor's Professor of Mathematics, Brown University.
Math Encounters is a public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics, presented by the Simons Foundation and the National Museum of Mathematics.
For further information, call the National Museum of Mathematics at
212-542-0566 or e-mail mathencounters@momath.org.
Light endeavors to take the most efficient path between any two points, but matter or geometry can cause this path to bend. What would life be like in curved space? Join Steve Trettel, Szego Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Stanford University, as he identifies some telltale signs of curvature in the real world — including spooky ring-like mirages appearing in images from the Hubble Space Telescope — and takes us on a geometrical adventure that leads us to Einstein's great insight: that gravity is not a force, but just a consequence of living in a curved world. Special introduction by Dr. Richard Schwartz, Chancellor's Professor of Mathematics, Brown University.
Math Encounters is a public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics, presented by the Simons Foundation and the National Museum of Mathematics.
For further information, call the National Museum of Mathematics at
212-542-0566 or e-mail mathencounters@momath.org.
